I spent one of the most delicious summers of my life in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.I lived in an apartment in the Copacabana neighborhood with three other girls and a house mother, and attended language school every day.As you can imagine, I ate my weight in tropical fruit, drank many caipirinhas on the beach, and had an amazing time in general.One of the treats I learned to appreciate? Pão de queijo, cheesy little bread bites that everyone eats for breakfast or a mid-afternoon snack throughout Brazil.

With the World Cup going on in Brazil right now, I’ve been reminiscing about that summer in all of its delectable glory.I decided to find a recipe and try my hand at making these treats for myself.I was worried they wouldn’t turn out, but this recipe is super easy!I may even get brave and move on to bolinhos de bacalhau (salted cod fritters) and feijoada (pork and black bean stew) next!

500 g cassava flour (also known as tapioca flour – I found a package at Whole Foods)

salt to taste

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 355 degrees F.Butter or spray a couple of baking sheets with baking spray, set aside.

In a large bowl combine dry ingredients until well mixed, then add in the cream.Knead until mixture holds together when you squeeze a handful.

With your fingers, gather small portions of dough and form balls (2-3 tablespoon-sized).You may need to squash the dough into balls, but they’ll hold together in the oven.Don’t give in to temptation to add more liquid!

Place the balls on the prepared baking sheet and bake in the oven until golden brown, around 18-20 minutes.Let cool a bit, and enjoy!Makes 3 dozen cheese bites.

Yay!The texture is what really make these: on the outside they look dry and nondescript, but the inside is sticky, cheesy goodness with little air pockets.Plus, they’re gluten-free!And delicious.So, you know, make them, and then brag to all of the folks at your World Cup party that you made an authentic snack.*grin*

Recommended for: a delicious, gluten-free savory snack, an authentic Brazilian appetizer, and a special treat for the cheese-obsessed.

In case you all decide to make these, they're best on the day they're made (fresh). If you keep them for a couple of days, store in an airtight container and reheat briefly before serving. They're denser less sticky/yummy on the 2nd day, though.